Mining machine cutter bar



` Dec. 8, 1942. H. M. MoRRow MINING MACHINE CUTTER BAR Filed March` 20I 1941 a fabricated cutter bar ber `employed in the cular wear strip cutter bar;

Patented Dec. 8, 1942 UNITED STATES. PATIENT OFFICE MINING MACHINE CUTTER. BAR

Harry M. Morrow, Canton, Ohio, `assigner to The Bowdil Company ApplicatonMarch 20, 1941, Serial No. 384,239 11 claims. ((101. 26a-33) My invention relates in general to cutter bars for mining machines and more particularly to fabricated cutter bars for mining machines.

An object of my invention is the provision of having removable parts i which may be dis-assembled for repair or for replacement.

Another object of my invention is` the provision of a removable arcuate end for the cutter bar.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a cutter bar having a removable chain guide channel construction, so that the angular wear strips may be easily and readily secured to the side of the chain guide channel construction.

Another object of my invention is the pro, `vision of a cutter bar of economical construction,

in that a greater portion of the cutting bar is constructed of ordinary steel and in that a very minor portion `of the bar is constructed ofhard and expensive steel. I

Another object of my invention is the provision of a cutting bar having a support channel construction in which is removably mounted a chain guide channel construction.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of my invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 represents a of a cutter bar embodying thefeatures of my invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View of my cutter bar taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view r of my cutter bar taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of my cutter bar taken along the line 4 4 of Figure 1;

plan longitudinal view Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of my cutter bar taken along the line 5 5 of Figure 1;` y

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of my cutter bar taken along the line 6--6 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary and perspective View of an off-set substantially Z-shaped bar employed in the construction of my fabricated cutter bar;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a nosememconstruction of my cutter bar;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a semi-ciremployed in the construction of 26 may be secured to Figure 10 is a perspective View of a semi-circular side plate and the semi-circular wear strip employed in the construction of my cutter bar, and

Figure 11 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View similar to the left-hand portion of Figure 2 but showing a modification thereof.

With reference to the drawing, my fabricated cutter bar comprises two main portions; namely, a longitudinal portion represented generally by the reference character I5 and an arcuate end portion represented generally-by the reference character I6. Around the outer edges of the longitudinal portion I5 and the arcuate end portion IIS is a chain guide channel I8 in which revolves the mining machine chain utilized for cutting coal and other substances. In Figure 1 of the drawing, the bottom of the chain guide channel I8 is designated by the reference character 28.`

As illustrated, the longitudinal portion I5 com'- prises two spaced longitudinal side portions I1 of substantially identical construction. Each of the spaced longitudinal side portions I1 comprise generally two substantially rectangular bars I9 and two olf-set substantially Z'sl1aped.bars 20 having a, base ange 2| forming an outsideolset portion 22 and a guide liange 23 forming an inside off-set portion 24, see Figures 1, 2 and 7. The base anges 2l of the off-set substantially Z-shaped bars are secured together and hold the guide flanges 23 apart with the inside off-set portions 24 forming the guide channel for the two spaced longitudinal side portions I1 of the cutter bar. 'I'he rectangular bars I9 are disposed on opposite sides of thebase anges 2I and engage the outside off-set portions 22 of the base flanges 2|. As shown in Figure 2, the rectangular bars lISI and the base flanges 2I have registering openings extending therethrough and receive a bolt 25 which secures the olf-set sub.- stantially Z-shaped bars 20 and the rectangular bars I9 together. The registering openings and the bolt 25 may be spaced along each of the longitudinal side at suitable spaced intervals to give strength and rigidity to the cutter bar. As illustrated in Figure 2, angular wear strips 26 are secured to the inside edges of the guide anges 23 forming the chain guide channel I8 and extendover and againstthe outer edges thereof in order to provide wearing surfaces not only on the inside of the chain` guide channel I8 but also along the outer edges thereof. The angular wear strips the inside surfaces 0i the,

portions I'l of the cutter bar chain guide channel I8 by means of spaced rivets 2l.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, the inside edges of the rectangular bars I9 may be bridged or tied together by means of a bridging bloclr 32' which may be welded at 33 or otherwise suitably connected to the inside edges of the rectangular bars I9. The combination of the bridging block 32 and the arcuate end portion Iii :function to secure the two spaced longitudinal side portions I'I in substantially parallel alignment. The inside edges of the rectangular bars I9 are reeniorced with respect to each other by means of reenforcing spacer blocks 34 placed at Suitable intervals along the inside edge of the rectangular bars, see Figures 1 and 6. The reenforcing spacer blocks 34 may be welded at 35 or otherwise suitably connected to the inside vedges of the rectangular bars I9.

In actual practice, the left-hand end of the cutter bar is adapted to -be mounted upon a mini--ng machine which has a power driven chain sprocket wheel vfor forceably driving the cutter chain around the chain guide channel I8. The mounting construction at the left-hand end of the cutter bar Idepends upon the design of Veach particular mining machin-e and lall of them are not alike. The mounting, as illustrated in Figures l. land 5, comprises Aa mounting tie plate 36 Welded or otherwise `suitably connected to the biottonn side of the Vcutter bar. The Welded connection 4of the mounting tie plate 36- to the 'cutter bar may be -at SI and 3B or at any other suitable location. As viewed from the top side of the cutter bar as shown in Figures 1 and 5, the rectangular bars I9 are cut away at 3Q to vprovide an enlarged lopening for the mounting of the cutter bar to the mining machine.

'The arcuate end portion It comprises genererally two semi-circular side plates t3, an interl mediate nose member 44, and a Ysemi-circular Wear strip 52 all secured together and connected to the right-'hand'end of the 'assembled rectangular bars I9 of the 'spaced longitudinal side portions I1. the intermediate nose member M -comprises a semi-'circular vend 45 and an anchoring portion 46. `'Ihe 'anchoring portion d6 Vof the intermediate nose member M lies between the spaced rectangular bars 'I9 at the right-'hand end of vthe longitudinal side portions kI'I and is arranged to A`be securely mounted thereto by welding or vany other 'suitable means. As shown in Figure 2, the weld to vsecurely mountthe anchoring portion 46 to the rectangular bars "I9 `may beat M or any vother suitable place. The opposite sides of the intermediate nose 4member AIII may be 'reen- 'forced by means 'of 'reenforcing members 48. The right-hand end ofthe reenforcing member '48 is roundasindicated by the reference charact'er IIS and is arranged "to 't complementarily within va round'recess Efin eachof vthe side plates `lI3. The 'width' of the 4reenforcing members 48 are such'as' to fit between the inside edges of the `spaced rectangular `bars `I9 of vthe l-longitudinal side portions I'I. The reenforcing members 48 maybe welded 'or otherwise vsuitably connected to the 'rectangular 'bars I9. The'weld may beat 51 or at any other Ysuitable place. Instead of welding the'anchoring portion 46 andthe `reenforcing members 48 in separately to the rectangular 'bars I9, `the reenforcing member 48 may be rst '.welded or otherwise suitably conn'ectedto roppositesides of the intermediate nose member 48, after which the intermediate nose As illustrated in 'Figures 1, 2 and 8, 1

member III and the reenforcing members 48 may be welded to the rectangular bars I9 as a unit. As shown in Figures 4, 9 and 10, the inside surfaces of the semi-circular side plates i3 are provided With a tongue 54 which is adapted to receive a groove 53 on opposite sides of the semicircular wear strip 52. In mounting the arcuate end portion It to the right-hand end of the longitudinal side `portions I'I of the cutter bar, the semi-circular wear strip 52 is nist positioned between the semi-circular side plates 43, after which the side plates d3 are bolted to the semicircular end I5 of the intermediate nose member M by bolts 5I or by any other suitable means. The inside vedge of the semi-circular wear strip 52 bears against the semi-circular end I5 of the intermediate nose member dll. As shown in Figures 4 and 1Q, the inside surfaces of the semicircular side plates 43 are cut away so as to provide inward projection 55 near thel outer peripheral edges thereof. rI-"ne cross-section of the inward projection 55 coincides substantially with the angular wear strips I6, so that the chain guide channel I8 is substantially uniform throughout its entire length. The semi-circular side plates I3 are Aconstructed of wear resistant material which means also that the inward projection 55 is of wear resistant material. The angular Wear strips 25 are also constructed -of wear resistant material, but all of the remaining parts of the cutter bar are constructed of ordiria-ry steel. Therefore, my cutter bar represents an economical design fom the standpoint of cost since a very small amount of the steel is wear resistant material which is many times more expensive than the ordinary steel used in the remaining parts of the cutter bar.

In actual operation, the riveting of the wear reistant strips to the inside surfaces of the chain guide channel of a solid cutter bar Asuoli as shown in Patent No. 1,936,466 issued to N.. K. Bowman on vOctober l1'7, 1933, evolved a great deal of difficulty. The riveting operation was rather difficult for the reason that Ithe ends of the rivets in the chain guide channel in a solid bar were not accessible for eicient riveting action. Attempts were made to employ a wedge to hold the rivets in tightv against the wear resistant strips while the outer ends of the rivets were upset but the results obtained were not satisfactory. In my invention ythe wear resistant strips 26 may be riveted to the off-set substantially Z-shaped bars 2i) before assembling the cutter bar in the factory. In the event that it becomes necessary to replace or repair the wear resistant strips 2@ inthe iield, the oi-set substantially Z-snaped bars 2i] may -be readily removed or dis-assembled from the cutter bar by removing the bolts 25. Upon 'the dis-assembly of the off-set substantially Z-shaped bars 20, the rectangular bars I9 form what might be 'characterize-d Vas a support channel. AIn other words, each of the longitudinal side portions I1 of my cutter bar is of a construction 'having a 'double channel in which the inner channel formed 'by `the two Vspaced rectangular bars I9 constitutes a support channel construction and in which the channel 'formed by the two off-set substantially Z-shaped bars 2t form the chain guide channel 'around which the cutter chain of the mining machine revolve. .The outer chain guide channel construction is removably mounted in the inner support channel construction to facilitate repairs and the replacement of parts.

The construction of my cutter bar also readily affords a simple arrangement for varying the thickness ofthe cutter bar to accommodate miningmachine chains of `diiferent sizes and widths. Thus, in Figure 1l, I illustrate a thicker cutter bar `by employing a spacer 56 between the base flanges?! -oi theoiT-set 'substantially Z-shaped barsZUf The arcuate end portion I6 of thecutter bar lmay likewise be made wider by using suitable=spacers in order to make the arcuate end portion I6 of the cutter bar to lie in substantially the same plane as the plane of the two longitudinal side-portions Il of the cutter bar.

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

1 I claim as my inventions l `1. A cutter bar for a mining machine cornprising, in combination, two spaced longitudinal side portions and an arcuate end portion having a guide channelprovided around their outer edges, each vof said longitudinal side portions being similarly constructed and comprising two substantially rectangular bars and two off-set substantially Z-shaped `bars having a base flange forming an outside off-set portion and a guide flange forming an `inside off-set portion,v saidbase flanges being secured together and holding the guide flanges apart with the inside off-set portions forming the guide channel for the two spaced lon; gitudinal side portions of the cutter bar, angular wear strips secured to the inside edges of the i guide flanges forming the said guide channel and extending over and against the outer edges thereof, said rectangular bars being disposed on opposite sides of the` base anges and engaging the outside off-set portions of the base flanges, said rectangular bars and said base flanges having registering openings extending therethrough, fastening means extending through the registering openings for securing the oil-set substantially Z-shaped bars and the rectangular bar together, means at spaced longitudinal intervals for securing the rectangular bars together, said arcuate end portion of the cutter bar comprising two substantially semi-circular side plates of wear resistant material, an intermediate nose member having a i substantially semi-circular end and` a substantially semi-circular wear strip all secured together, said nose member being secured to one end of the assembled rectangular bars with the semi-circular end extending longitudinally therefrom, means for securing the side plates on opposite sides of the extended semi-circular end of the nose member to form sides for the guide channel around thesaid arcuate end portion of the cutter bar, the inside surfaces of the side plates at the peripheral edge thereof having an inward projection coinciding substantially with the Wear strips secured to the said guide flanges of the off-set substantially Z-shaped bars, and means for securing the semi-circular wear strip in the bottom of the guide channel around the said arcuate end portion of the cutter bar.

2. A cutter bar for a mining machine comprising, in combination, two spaced longitudinal side portions and an arcuate end portion having a guide channel provided around their outer edges, each of said longitudinal side portions being similarly constructed and comprising two substantially rectangular bars and two oil-set subforming an outside off-set portionand a guide flange forming an inside off-set portion, saidbase flanges being secured together and holdingthe guide flanges apart with the inside off-set portions forming the guide channel for the two spaced longitudinal side portions of the cutter bar, angular wear strips secured to the inside edges of the guide ilanges forming the said guide channel and extending over and against the outer edges thereof, said rectangular bars being disposed on opposite sides of the base anges and engaging the stantially Z-shaped bars having a base flange `portions and an arcuate outside oil-set portions of the base flanges, said rectangular bars and said base flanges having registering openings extending therethrough, fastening means extending through the registering openings for securing the off-set substantially Z-shaped bars and the rectangular bar together,

-means at spaced longitudinal intervals for securing the rectangular bars together, and means for securing the said arcuate end portion of the cutter bar to one end of the assembled rectangular bars. 3. Acutter bar for a mining machine comprising, in combination, two spaced longitudinall side end portion having a guide channel provided around their outer edges, each of` said longitudinal side portions being similarly constructed and comprising two substantially rectangular bars and two off-set substantially Z-shaped bars having a base Iiange forming an outside OIT-set portion and a guide Ilange yforming an inside olf-set portion, said base iianges being secured together and holding the guide llanges apart with the inside olf-set portions forming the guide channel -for the two spaced longitudinal side portions of the cutter bar, said rectangular bars being disposed on opposite sides of the base anges and engaging the outside olf-set portions of the base flanges, said rectangular bars and said base flanges having registering openings extending therethrough, fastening means extending through the registering openings for securing the off-set substantially Z-shaped bars and the rectangular bar together, means at spaced longitudinal intervals for securing the rectangular bars together, and Ymeans for securing the said arcuate end portion ofthe cutter bar to one end of the assembled rectangular bars. f l 4. A cutter bar for a mining machine comprising, in combination, two spaced longitudinal side portions and an arcuate end portion having a guide channel provided around their outer edges, angular wear strips secured to the inside edges of the guide channel in the longitudinal side portions and extending over and against the outer edges thereof, said arcuate end portion of the cutter bar `comprising two substantially semi-circular side plates of wear resistant material, an intermediatenose member having a substantially semi-.circular end and a substantially semi-circular wear strip all secured together, said nose member being secured to one end of the two spaced longitudinal side portions with the semicircular end extending longitudinally therefrom, means for securing the side plates on opposite sides of the extended semi-circular end of the nose member to -form sides for the guide channel around the said arcuate end portion of the cutter bar, and means for securing the semi-circular wear strip in the bottom of the guide :channel around the arcuate end portion of the cutter bar; the` inside surfaces of the side plates at the peripheral edge thereof having an inw-ard projection coinciding substantially with the Wear strips secured to the inside edges of the guide channel inthe longitudinal side: portions' ofthe cutter bar.

5. Av cutter bar for a mining. machine comprising,l in combination,k two spaced longitudinal side portions and an arcuate rend portion having a guide channel provided around their outer edges, said arcuate end portion of the cutter bar comprising two substantially semi-circular side plates of wear resistant material, an intermediate nose member having a substantially semi-circular end and a substantially semi-circular wear strip all secured together, said nose member being secured to one end of the two spaced longitudinal side portionsV with the semi-circular end extending longitudinally therefrom, means for securing the side plates on opposite sides of the extended semi-circular end of the nose member to `form sides for the guide channel around the said arcuate end portion of the cutter bar, and

interitting tongue-and-groove means on theA side plates and the semi-circular wear strip yfor securing; the semi-circularl wear strip in the bottom of the guide channel around the arcuate end portion of the cutter bar..

Y 6. A cutter bar for a mining machine compris L ing, in combination, a longitudinal portion and ank arcuate end portion having a chain guide channel provided around their outer edges, said longitudinal portion comprising a longitudinal structure having a longitudinal support channel a along opposite longitudinal sides thereof andtwo off-set substantially Z-shaped bars secured in each of the longitudinal support channels, each ofv said off-set substantially Z-shaped bars having a base flange forming an outsider off-set portion and a guide flange forming an inside oli-set portion, means extendingthroughy the support channels and the base anges therein. for removably securing the base flanges of twov ofi-set substantially `Z-shaped support ychannels with the said outside oil-set portion engaging the inside surfaces of the support channel and holding thesaid guide ilanges apart with the said inside ofi-set portions forming the chain guide channel for the longitudinal portion. ofv the cutter bar.

7. A cutter bar for a miningmachine comprising, in combination, a longitudinal portionr and an arcuate end portion having a chain guide channel provided `around their outer edges, said longitudinal portion comprising longitudinal support channel means, chain guide channelv means removably mounted therein toI form the `chain guide channel along the longitudinal" portion of the cutter bar, and means extending transversely through the support channel means and the chain guide channel means for securing the chain guide channel means in the support channel means.

bars withinj each of. the

8, A cutter bar for a mining machine comprising, in combination, a longitudinal portion and anV arcuate end portion having a chain guide channel provided around their outer edges, said longitudinal portion` comprising two longitudinal sides of substantially identical construction, each of said sides having an inner support 'channel construction, an outer chain guide channel construction removably mounted in the inner support channel construction, and means extending transversely through the support channel construction and the chain guide channel construction for securing the chain guide channel construction in the support channel construction.

9. A cutter bar for a mining machine comprising, in combination, a longitudinal portion and an arcuate end Iportion having a chain guide channel provided around their outer edges, said longitudinal portion comprising two longitudinal sides of substantially identical construction, each of said sides having an inner support channel construction, an outer chain. guide channel construction removably mounted in the inner support channel construction, said outer chain guide channel construction comprising two offset substantially Z-shaped bars, and means extending transversely through the support channel construction and the chain guide channel construction for securing the chain guide channel construction in the support channel construction.

l0. A cutter bar for a mining'ma-chine comprising, in combination, a longitudinal portion and an arcuate end portion having a chain guide channel provided around their outer edges, said longitudinal portion comprising two longitudinal sides of substantially identical construction, each of said sides having an inner channel support means, an outer chain guide channel construction removably mounted to the inner channel support means, said outer chainl guide channel construction comprising two off-set substantially Z-shaped bars, and means extending transversely through the inner support means and the chain guide channel construction for securing the chain guide channel construction in the inner support means.

11. A cutter bar for a mining machine comprising, in combination, a longitudinal portion and an arcuate end portion having a chain guide channel provided around their outer. edges, said longitudinal portion comprising longitudinal support channel means, chain guide channel means mounted therein to form the .chain channel along the longitudinal portion of the 1' cutter bar, and means extending transversely through the support channel means andv the chain guide channel means for securing the chain guide channel means in the support channel means.

guide 

